Murder accused 'heard voices'

A "JEALOUS" boyfriend accused of murdering a mother of two experienced delusions that the woman's ex-husband was coming to his house and conducting a sexual relationship with her, a court heard yesterday.

A "JEALOUS" boyfriend accused of murdering a mother of two experienced delusions that the woman's ex-husband was coming to his house and conducting a sexual relationship with her, a court heard yesterday.

Shaun Emmott, 31, was driven to kill 29-year-old Jacqueline Howell by a violent and aggressive temper and intense jealously, stabbing her 39 times, a jury at Cardiff Crown Court was previously told.

Emmott, who denies the murder charge, had been living with Mrs Howell, who was known as Jacqui, and her two daughters at Dickens Court, Graig-y-Rhacca, near Caer- philly, for almost 16 months.

Jane Crowley QC, prosecuting, had told the jury how the name of Mrs Howell's ex-husband, Paddy, had been written with her blood on the carpet next to the body at Emmott's unoccupied council house at nearby Gray's Gardens.

Ms Crowley said Emmott wrote Andrew Howell's nickname "Paddy" next to the body in "an attempt to suggest she had written it herself to leave a hint as to who had done it".

But giving evidence yesterday, psychiatrist Dr Mark Janas told the court how Emmott believed Mrs Howell was drugging him in order to carry out a relationship with her ex-husband.

Dr Janas said, "Mr Emmott appeared to come to the view that Jacqueline's ex-husband was coming to the house and conducting a sexual relationship with Jacqueline."

He agreed with David Aubrey QC, defending, that this is what the defendant reported was his belief and there was no suggestion that there was any truth in it.

The court was told that Emmott had taken anti-psychotic medication and there was "a history of suicide threats".

But over time he stopped taking them and his symptoms reverted, the jury heard.

The psychiatrist told how Emmott believed there were people hiding in his attic and that messages were being sent to him on his mobile phone.

"The strength of his beliefs was such that he had nailed the attic shut and contacted the police," Dr Janas said.

Ms Crowley previously said that Emmott "lured" his victim into the flat with the intention of killing her and himself as a "grand gesture".

"It was his intention to kill himself as well. After taking a number of tablets and cutting his wrists, he evidently changed his mind and set about trying to evade detection," she had said.